Iridescent
by Crona Bunny
Summary: "For every bad name I called you in the past, I will give you compliments and presents. For every time I made you cry, I will give you a reason to smile, and for every time I made you feel bad," Kevin paused, bringing his body closer and slowly slipping his hand into the waistband of Double D's shorts, "I will make you feel so damn good." [[Kevedd fanfic, IN PROGRESS]]
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello, everyone!

Apologies for taking forever to post anything new, but recently  
I was able to gather up enough spare time to make a fic about Kevin  
and Double D! I fell head over heels in love with this pairing  
a while back and I finally worked up the courage to write my own fic about it.

I was greatly inspired by c2ndy2c1d's art.  
Of course, she's the one who drew the picture I used  
for this story's image thingy up there. c:  
She's great. You should follow her on Tumblr if you haven't already.

This fanfic is rated M for: sexual content, some violence, adult situations,  
possible trigger warnings and some depressing shit. Also, language.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own "Ed Edd n Eddy" or the characters.  
I'm not making any profit from this.  
I just own the plot, headcanons, and some OC's here and there.

Side note: Edd and Double D are the same person.  
But you should know that if you're reading a fic about him. xD  
I just tend to use both names for him, so if that's annoying, I'm sorry.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Iridescent  
**_Chapter One_

* * *

He was graceful for someone so awkward. That scrawny little body of his was always trembling to some degree, whether it was because of an upcoming test next period or simply due to the fear of being alone in the hallway for bullies to prey on. Yet, he somehow always managed to remain poised and proper, even outside of academic walls.

Inquisitive, practical and articulate with a wide range of vocabulary, Double D was often taken advantage of for his intelligence and bullied for being an overachiever. Even now, as a junior in Peach Creek High School, many students _still_ seized any opportunity to tease him.

Most people found his near-constant nervousness, brainiac ways and disciplined nature to be unappealing and annoying, but his qualities were also secretly admired by few - one person in particular.

"Kevin?"

The jock closed his locker to reveal his best friend's face – a kind, caring face with pretty, glossed lips and mascara eyes. Atop her head was short blonde hair that was thick, layered and styled nicely with the faint smell of a flat iron straightener. Within the hustle and bustle of the students around them, she stuck out like a diamond in a dunghill.

"Oh, hey, Nazz," Kevin greeted.

"You have chemistry now, right?" she asked. "Ready for the test?"

"No way, man. Chemistry isn't really my style and with the upcoming season, practice is really taking its toll on me."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I thought it was pretty easy when I took it earlier."

Kevin's face lit up. "So, can you tell me any answers or hints I should know?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, Kev, but the teacher gives each period a different test so that nobody cheats. Otherwise I'd totally help you."

He face-palmed. "Great. Just great."

"I'm sure you'll pass," she reassured. "Are you doing anything after school today?"

Kevin regained his composure and slowly averted his gaze. "Yeah. Practice with the guys."

Nazz noticed Kevin looking over at the opposite wall of lockers. There, Double D was putting away his books in a worried daze, mumbling various scientific formulas to himself while he rummaged through his locker for his chemistry notes.

This wasn't the first time Nazz caught Kevin's line of vision drifting off to where Double D stood. He always tried to secretly look at him with the corner of his eye, but he was pretty bad at hiding it. Originally, Nazz thought it was just her imagination or a weird coincidence, but it has been made clear that Kevin was definitely eyeing Double D in particular - very often nowadays, too.

She hasn't bothered to ask Kevin about it, though. She figured if Kevin had something on his mind, he'd share it with her eventually.

"What about after practice?" she asked. "Are you free to hang out then?"

Kevin palmed the back of his head, causing his old red cap to tilt forward a little bit. "Yeah, I'm free. You want to come over to my place for our usual after-school snack?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

The surrounding students began to scramble across the tiled halls, powerwalking to their last period before the bell rang.

"Looks like it's about that time," Nazz said. "I'll see ya later, Kev!"

"Hey, one more thing before we split," he said.

"Yes?"

"When we meet up later, I, uh… I need to talk to you about something kind of important."

She blinked twice, a bit curious and confused as to what it could possibly be. But then she gave him a reassuring smile. She knew he was reaching out to her about something only best friends could talk about.

"Okay," she said. "You sure you can't tell me right now, though?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it has to be later. I'd rather tell you when no one else is around. It's a little embarrassing."

"All right. Try not to let it get to you in the meantime then. Okay?"

She walked away, waving goodbye.

Kevin flipped his backpack over his shoulder and watched her disappear into the flood of other students.

"Don't let it get to me, huh?" he mumbled to himself.

He watched Double D struggle to shut his locker, carrying a stack of heavy books in his weak little arms, both covered with the wrinkled fabric of his V-neck sweater.

Kevin lowered his head. '_Easier said than done._'

"Well, well, if it isn't the little nerd?" a voice announced loudly.

Kevin looked up to see three fellow football players blocking Edd's path. One was tall and thin, one was chubby and sturdy, and the other was buff with a blonde ponytail on the back of his head. It was Travis, Connor and Zack – each a valued member of the football team. But all three of them were stubborn, unfriendly delinquents notorious for their bullying.

Kevin watched with a heavy heart.

"Eh-Excuse me, gentlemen," Double D stuttered, readjusting his position so that his books were a tad bit easier to carry. "I must be getting to class before the bell rings. Will you please let me pass by?"

Before the last word could even fully escape his mouth, Edd's books were slapped out of his hands and onto the floor. He soon found himself being held up by his hat, his small feet dangling above his scattered notes.

"Wait! Stop!" Double D begged, clutching to his hat and holding it down over his head for dear life. "I implore you to let go of my hat! _Please_!"

"Yeah, as if. A dork like you needs to learn his place," Zack said, shaking Edd like a string over a cat.

"Haven't you done that enough already?" Double D asked sadly, looking down at the baby blue Vans on his feet.

Travis laughed. "Apparently not, because you're still talking. Better not get too carried away, Teacher's Pet. Get the duct tape, Connor."

"Hold it!"

The three bullies looked behind their victim to see Kevin standing before them.

"Put him down," Kevin ordered. "If you three are late to class again, Coach is going to cut you from the team, remember?"

"Piss off, Kevin," Zack said as Connor stretched out a long piece of duct tape from their tape roll. "Just because you're the coach's assistant doesn't mean you get to boss us around off the field."

Kevin curled his fist but he stood his ground. "I mean it, man. Beat it or else we're losing this season and it'll be all your fucking fault."

The burly young man glared at the redhead, but Kevin fearlessly closed in, glaring right back at him with narrowed eyes. "And for the record," Kevin added, "Only _I'm_ allowed to call him a dork, got it?!"

Double D watched with astonishment in his eyes.

Travis maintained his dirty look and released his grip on Edd. He fell face-first onto his pile of belongings.

"Whatever," Travis grumbled.

The three of them hustled down the hall, out of sight.

Edd sat up, his hat crooked and his body still trembling from the frightful encounter. "What on _Earth_ just happened?"

Kevin looked down at him. "I just saved your sorry little butt, that's what."

Edd's eyes met Kevin's, a beautiful emerald gaze.

"But why? We barely speak and we haven't had extended time together since middle school, and-"

"I just couldn't sit there and watch them do that to you, all right?"

The bell for sixth period rang, leaving Double D's ears tingling with the sound of tardiness.

"Oh dear," Edd whined as he fixed his hat and began to pick up his notes in a panic. "I can't believe this. Late! _Late_! I've never been late before! There are consequences to not following school policies! What do I do? I've soiled my school record!"

Kevin snickered, trying not to laugh too loudly. "Relax, man. I'm sure nothing serious is going to happen. Here, let me help you."

"Help me?" Edd asked, his voice loud with surprise.

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "What's with _that_ tone?"

The sudden sting in his voice made Double D fidget. "My apologies, Kevin, I'm just sort of surprised that someone like you is even bothering to help someone like me." He smiled. "I guess there's a first time for everything, yes?"

Kevin rolled his eyes and grunted as he got down to his knees and started to pick up Edd's textbooks. "Shut up, Double Dork. I'm not that heartless."

Edd couldn't help but laugh softly at the contradictory statement. He also sensed that Kevin was using that old nickname in a more.. _affectionate_ manner? He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he found it rather amusing to say the least.

Or perhaps just.. cute.

'_Only_ _I'm allowed to call him a dork, got it?!_' the words Kevin had said echoed in Double D's mind, causing a weird feeling to bubble up in the pit of his stomach.

"Why're you smiling so much?" Kevin asked, breaking Edd's train of thought. '_It's a contagious smile…_'

A blush bloomed on Edd's pale face. "Oh, I just… I suppose I'm just happy that those guys didn't do what they usually do to me."

"What do they usually do?"

"It's going to sound silly, but they tape me to my locker. It usually happens _after_ sixth period is over, though, and it's not a daily thing. I wonder why they chose to do it early this time..?"

Kevin's heart sunk.

Edd was talking about it so casually but Kevin swore he heard a few cracks in his delicate voice. He wondered if he ever made Edd feel this way back when they were younger. It was something Kevin thought about quite often.

The silence made Edd's stomach do an uneasy turn. "But it's nothing to worry about," he added. "Ed and Eddy remove the tape and help me down every time it happens! We don't have last period together, so they always come looking for me when the last bell rings."

"But still," Kevin said quietly. '_You shouldn't have to go through that shit anymore._'

They both rose to their feet. Kevin had the textbooks under his arm and Double D tucked the loose papers into his notebook and hugged it tightly.

"I thank you again, Kevin. We should be getting to class now and-"

Edd's voice was cut off with a gasp when he heard the loud metallic sound of Kevin's hand slamming against the locker behind his head.

Suddenly being inches away from Kevin's face and having nowhere to run to, nervousness returned to Edd's body with a vengeance. They were so close that he could feel the heat of Kevin's body and smell the musky, yet comforting, smell of Kevin's hoodie and skin.

"K-Kevin?"

Kevin stared at Double D with a focused, soft expression and what seemed like sorrow in his eyes. But then he looked slightly irritated and puzzled. It was like he was itching to say something, but couldn't get the words out.

Edd gulped. "M-May I help you with something?"

Kevin's eyebrows lowered in frustration. "Man, why is it so hard to talk to you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Kevin was silent. He leaned in closer, his lips soon a mere breath away from Edd's. Double D's face flushed pink. His legs shook and he clamped his eyes shut, feeling his whole body tense up until it ached. '_Wh-what is Kevin doing?_'

But then Kevin backed off, sighing and returning Edd's books. "It's nothing. I'll see you in class."

Double D watched Kevin walk away and enter their chemistry class down the hall. He hugged his books even tighter, still feeling flustered. He could hear his own rapid heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"Good Lord, what was _that_ all about?"

He clenched his teeth at the thought of being late to class, but being totally unable to move. '_Curse these nerves of mine!_'

Kevin poked his head out of the classroom. "Hey, Double Dork!" he shouted. "The teacher isn't here yet. Move it or lose it!"

Regaining his senses, Edd finally managed to walk again, scurrying over to where Kevin stood. "Y-yes, I'm coming!"

Kevin opened the door for him and watched Edd shakily step through. He laughed softly and then, under his breath, he whispered, "Cute."

* * *

Nazz picked up two different jars of peanut butter and pondered to herself for a moment, studying each of them carefully.

"Which one of these should we get, Kev?"

"Huh? Oh, whichever one's cheaper," he replied.

Nazz pouted as she put the more expensive one back on the shelf. She knew something weird was going on in Kevin's mind right now, but she was starting to get impatient with how spacey he was being.

"What about jelly?" she asked. "Should we get blueberry or strawberry this time?"

Kevin looked over at the wall of jelly jars. He saw the rows of different colors and flavors, half-heartedly gazing at a few of them before deciding.

"Blueberry, I guess."

Nazz smiled. "Okay!"

She walked further down the aisle with the jars of peanut butter and jelly in her hands. Kevin remained where he stood, still staring at the wide selection of preserved fruit juice.

'_I wonder if he likes blueberry, too?_' he wondered.

"Kevin, are you coming?"

He snapped out of his thought, putting his fingertips against his forehead. "Actually, can I ask you something, Nazz?"

"Sure, what is it?"

Kevin shuffled his feet. "What do you do when you want to hang out with someone but you don't really talk to that person very much?"

She blinked. "Who do you want to hang out with?"

A very faint blush surfaced on his cheeks. "Why do you have to answer a question with a question..?"

She walked back over to him, leaning her back against the aisle's wall. "Well, you talk to them, obviously."

He still had his hand tangled in his short, soft hair. "Is it really that easy?"

"It is if you make it that easy. I say you start talking to this person and ease into the play date idea. You don't have to plan it right away or anything. Just get to know them a bit before hanging out."

"But I already know him…"

Nazz put her hand to her mouth. "Him? So, this isn't some girl you're too shy to ask out, or something?"

Kevin laughed. "No, afraid not."

She laughed, too. "And here I thought you were seriously considering a relationship for once!"

Kevin's face twisted into a disgruntled expression. "Well, geez, you didn't have to say it like that…"

She patted his back. "I'm only teasing, Kev. If you two already know each other, I say you go right ahead and ask him to hang out! But, I have to admit this is a little strange. Since when do you have trouble approaching people?"

"I don't know. For some reason, I have trouble talking to this guy."

"Is it one of the Eds?" she asked.

As usual, she was sharper than what he had interpreted. Then again, he wasn't too surprised. Nazz had a special talent of reading people like an open book.

"Why do you figure?" he asked, curious to know how exactly she concluded that.

"Well, you're basically friends with everyone else. The Eds seem to be the only people you haven't gotten along with before."

He paused. "Good point."

"Which Ed is it? Certainly not Eddy."

Kevin looked away shyly. "It's… Double D."

Nazz was bewildered. "Really? He's, like, the easiest guy to talk to! Why are you saying it's hard to approach him?"

"Ever since high school started, those Eds haven't been together as often," he replied.

"Yeah, that's true," she agreed. "Everyone's schedules are so different from each other's. It's nothing like middle school was. But what does that have to do with-"

"I haven't really been given a reason to talk to him," he interrupted. "Our past conversations usually happened after I messed with Eddy. Wouldn't it be weird if I just suddenly asked Double D to hang out?"

Nazz shrugged. "I don't know, man, but it can't hurt."

Kevin put his hands in his pockets and looked down at his Black Converse shoes. "Nazz, I see Double D by himself a lot. Whenever his dorky friends aren't around, he gets bullied pretty badly."

"I've seen that, too," she said sadly.

"I always felt bad for bullying him just because he was one of the Eds, but... I can't help but wonder if he's doing okay without them now. Eddy and Lumpy don't get bullied nearly as often anymore, but Double D seems to be taking all the heat."

Nazz's expression softened sympathetically. "You care about him that much?"

Kevin looked at her. "Yeah. I guess I do."

"You want to apologize to him for the things you did in the past, don't you?"

He took a moment, but he nodded. "Yeah. I figured it's the least I can do. It's been buggin' me a lot lately. He doesn't deserve any of the shit that he takes."

Nazz smiled brightly, happy to know that Kevin had finally realized that. "Kevin, that's all the reason you need. Go right up to him and talk. He's a smart and sensitive guy. I'm sure he'll listen to you and feel happy about whatever you have to say to him."

"I don't know," he mumbled. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. I just need to wait for the right moment, y'know?"

She giggled. "It's weird seeing you care this much. What's come over you, Kev? You have a little crush on him, or something?"

"Ha-ha, very funny," he said sarcastically, making her giggle more.

But a soft smirk curved the corner of his lips. '_That's actually a pretty good question._'

"Hurry up and get the stupid jelly, Double D!" a voice yelled.

It was a male voice that was a bit high-pitched and cracked – almost annoying.

Kevin's whole body tensed up when he recognized it.

"Shit, let's go, Nazz!" he said, grabbing her arm and running down the aisle.

They rounded the corner and stopped. Kevin carefully peeked to see Ed, Edd and Eddy in the aisle they were just in.

"I was right, it's the dorks," Kevin whispered loudly. "We gotta get outta here, and fast!"

"What's the big deal?" Nazz asked. "This is your chance to talk to Double D!"

Kevin's eye twitched at the thought. "I don't think you realize how bad of a decision that would be right now."

She sighed lightly. "Well, I'll go check out real quick then."

Without replying, Kevin kept watching the Eds, eyeing Double D as he sifted through the jelly jars while Eddy paced back and forth impatiently.

Kevin _did_ want to speak to Double D, especially after his uplifting conversation with Nazz. But he knew it would be better to do in private. He couldn't even imagine how awkward it would be with Eddy there.

"Double D, can we make French toast?" Ed asked, hugging a huge loaf of pre-sliced white bread with a big smile on his face. "Chickens love French toast with cinnamon."

"But, Ed, I thought you wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," Double D said, sounding a bit concerned. "If you'd prefer French toast, we'd need to get the correct ingredients such as butter, syrup-"

"Can it, Sockhead," Eddy said, covering Double D's mouth. "I want PB and J. So hurry it up, I'm starving."

Double D swiped away Eddy's hand from his face. "_Please_, Eddy, it's unsanitary to touch someone's mouth with hands as filthy as yours."

"What?" Eddy asked, staring down at his grey hands and dirty fingernails. A couple of flies encircled his palms and the musty stench of dirt was almost visible. "They're not _that_ dirty, you pansy."

Double D wiped his mouth with the clean handkerchief he kept in his back pocket. "You and Ed need to learn the number one rule of personal hygiene: always wash your hands!"

There was a short pause, and then laughter exploded from both Ed and Eddy's mouths. "As if," Eddy said in between laughs. "Keep your girly habits to yourself."

"Hand washing doesn't have a specific gender role, Eddy," Double D explained while he returned his gaze to the many colorful containers of jelly.

Kevin watched him closely as he resumed sifting through the jars until he found what he was looking for. "Ah, here it is," Double D said delightedly. "Blueberry."

Kevin's cheeks slightly heated up. '_So, he does like blueberry._'

* * *

Last period came and went quicker than expected.

They had gotten their chemistry tests back and Kevin didn't do so well. He managed to pass, but he knew if he didn't get at least a B on his next test, he might be kicked off the football team.

He walked down the noisy after-school halls. It was always so boisterous after the last bell rang. Within the crowds of chattering students, Double D was nowhere in sight.

Kevin began to worry. He planned on talking to Edd after school today, but the last time he saw Edd was at lunch. It wasn't like him to miss class. He nearly had a heart attack just for being late yesterday.

"I wonder where he could be?" Kevin asked himself as he continued walking aimlessly through the halls, in hopes of finding him.

But he found Ed and Eddy instead.

"Move it, Blockhead," Eddy said as he pushed Kevin to the side.

The jock boiled up with anger. "Why you-"

"Do you think he ran away, Eddy?" Ed asked, looking extremely distressed. "What if someone kidnapped him? Or worse! What if Double D is trapped in someone's basement being forced to clean the floors with a toothbrush and no toothpaste?!"

Eddy covered Ed's mouth. "Shut up, Lumpy! He's around here somewhere. We just need to find him before someone else does. Now, move it!"

Ed began to openly sob. "I wish Double D was here to say that it's dirty to touch my mouth, Eddy!"

Kevin felt his throat go dry as they passed. '_So, he's missing? Where could he be?_'

He started to search. He looked in the chemistry lab, the math rooms, the art rooms, and even the bathrooms.

Nothing.

He went outside. It was a lovely Friday afternoon and he could feel the brush of autumn scrape against his face as the wind blew. It was getting colder as October approached.

But still no sign of Double D.

He looked on the basketball courts, the track field, the school's swimming pool, and the playground. No luck.

"Where _is_ he?" he asked himself as he entered the boy's locker room.

He even searched in there. Through the open lockers, the showers, the towel room, and every bathroom stall. _Still_ no luck.

He left the locker room and searched the gym and the weight room, but Double D wasn't there, either.

Kevin paced through the school again, noticing that most of the students were already gone. Through the maze of familiar hallways, he started to slow down and think that maybe Double D had already gone home.

He stopped, leaning his back against one of the school's many janitor closets.

'_Maybe he really did go home, or maybe his friends found him already_.'

Just then, within the silence, he heard a very faint sound. It was the sound of some sort of hiccup, or something very close to that.

"What the hell?"

He listened for it again, but the silence remained.

'_Maybe I'm just hearing things._'

But then he heard what sounded like sobbing. He listened again, turning around and pressing his ear against the closet door. The sound was definitely coming from in there, for he heard the sob-like noises a bit more clearly.

Kevin knocked on the door. "Hey, is someone in there?"

No response.

He clutched the handle in his hand, noticing that the sounds had ceased. Suddenly, Kevin knew who was in there.

"Double D?"

He heard the sound again, this time he was able to hear the tone of Double D's voice within it. He was in there, crying.

Kevin twisted the handle gingerly and entered the cold, dark little room filled to the brim with cleaning supplies. The light flooded in, revealing Double D sitting on the floor, hunched over and hugging his knees while he trembled vigorously.

He lifted his head to look at Kevin with watery eyes. His sweater was torn and he was covered with dirt and bruises. One bruise boldly framed his left eye and there was a trickle of blood flowing out of an open cut above his eyebrow.

Kevin didn't hesitate to run right up to him, grasping Edd's shoulders in a panic.

"What happened to you?"

* * *

-To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm so happy that people are actually reading this!  
One of my best friends read chapter 1 and now she ships Kevedd! :'D  
By the way, I'm sorry for being a bit too wordy.  
I'm a writing student, so I can't help but use a lot of words? ;A;  
I hope you enjoy the second chapter, though!

* * *

**Iridescent  
**_Chapter Two_

* * *

Double D's voice was shaky. "I'm fine, it's nothing to worry about…"

"Nothing? You're covered with bruises! What the hell happened?"

A sniffle escaped Edd's nose and he fearfully eyed the narrow, open doorway. The light was bright to his burning eyes.

"Are they out there?" he asked.

Kevin peeked out of the room and quickly scanned the area. "No, there's nobody out here," he reassured, "But just in case you're still afraid…"

He stepped back into the room and shut the door, turning the lock behind him. The room turned gray, almost black and white. Even so, Kevin saw Double D bury his face in his knees again, hugging his legs tightly and trying not to sob anymore.

Kevin took off his backpack and pulled out a fresh bottle of water. "Here," he said as he held it out towards Double D. "If you don't want to tell me what happened, that's okay, I won't force you. But you should drink some water. Crying a lot without hydrating yourself will give you a pretty bad headache."

Double D looked up at him. His sea foam eyes were puffy, their inner oceans still overflowing and running down the peachy shores that were his cheeks.

"But don't you need the water for yourself?" he asked.

"You need it more than I do."

Edd hesitantly accepted the bottle. He tried to open it, but couldn't quite get it to budge. Kevin took it back and unscrewed the cap with ease, then returned it to him. Edd took a sip and felt the cold water rush down into his stomach, giving him momentary relief. After a few more sips, he actually began to feel a little better.

"Thank you, Kevin," he mumbled.

"No problem. Just keep drinking it with small gulps. Trust me, when you chug water too quickly, it hurts your head like a brain freeze," Kevin said, a laugh in his voice.

He then looked around the room for some kind of towel and found a stack of clean rags on the shelf right next to him. He grabbed one and began to wipe away the blood and dirt from Double D's cut, causing him to flinch.

"Sorry if it stings," Kevin said. "But we need to wipe the dirt away or it'll sting even more."

Edd was kind of surprised to know that Kevin knew what could cause infections. Though, he figured it was because he plays so many sports.

"Um, Kevin?"

"Hm?"

"Th-they said next time you protect me, you'll be beaten up like this, too…"

Kevin suddenly felt his insides grow cold. "What?"

"It happened after lunch. They told me to pass on their message to you, before they hung me up on a hook outside and-"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Double D rested the bottle next to him on the concrete floor. "I'm sorry, Kevin. You shouldn't have protected me yesterday. Now they'll probably come after you and-"

"Don't talk like that," Kevin interrupted again. "They're not gonna do _shit_ to me."

Edd looked concerned. "But-"

"Those guys are complete _assholes_," Kevin scoffed as he carefully began to wipe the dirt off of Double D's black eye. "Why the hell couldn't they have said their pathetic message to my _face_?! I would've kicked their asses, that's why! Those cowards."

He set the towel aside and held up the half empty water bottle. "You should drink some more, Double D."

"Y-you're calling me Double D?"

Kevin tilted his head a bit. "Well, that's who you are, isn't it?"

A slight blush tinted Edd's face. The only reason he asked such a thing was because Kevin usually referred to him as 'dork' or some other unfriendly name. It was always odd – almost unsettling – whenever Kevin called him by his actual nickname.

Edd pulled his sleeves down over his hands, in hopes of making him feel less embarrassed, but then heat bubbled up behind his eyes again. The salty tears stung like bees.

Kevin used his thumb to wipe away a newborn tear. The sudden gesture made Double D feel a bit uneasy, but it had more to do with bashfulness than displeasure.

"C'mon," Kevin said. "You're coming with me."

"What? Where to?"

"Your house. You have first aid supplies, right?"

"Yes, I do, but-"

Kevin helped Double D to his feet. "No buts," he said. "I'm taking you home. Got it?"

"But, I look like a wreck, and my clothes aren't clean, and-"

"I said no buts!"

"I don't look presentable at all!"

"Look, we're going home," Kevin said sternly. "If those guys are still around, I'll pound 'em. You got nothing to worry about, okay?"

Even though Kevin's words gave him immediate security, Double D still felt unsure. "You really don't have to burden yourself with me…"

"Are you gonna make me carry you? 'Cause I will."

Edd suddenly flushed.

Kevin smirked. "Let's go."

* * *

They quickly got Double D's stuff from his locker and then made another stop at Kevin's so that he could get his gym bag.

Edd kept looking around, worried that the bullies would still be wandering around, or that someone would see him beaten up like this. But at the same time, he'd never felt so comfortable and safe in his life, being with an overprotective Kevin.

He was wondering why it all felt so overwhelming, yet so natural.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, noticing Kevin was looking for something more than just his gym bag.

"Found it!"

Kevin emerged from the depths of his disorganized locker, holding up one of his football jerseys. "Sorry, I was looking for a clean one. Wanna wear it for now?"

Double D looked down at his damaged black sweater. "I suppose that's a good idea…"

Kevin heard the slight uncertainty in his voice. "What's wrong? It's clean, I swear," he said, secretly sniffing the fabric to make sure.

Edd accepted the oversized shirt from Kevin's hand. It was white and red-orange, their school colors, with the number twelve stitched on the back. He slipped it on over his torn clothing.

"It's a little big," Edd mumbled, holding out his thin arms and noticing that the apparent short sleeves were down past his elbows.

He was so small that he was practically swimming in the jersey, making Kevin laugh under his breath. "Don't worry, you look fine."

"Are you sure it's okay for me to borrow this?"

"Shut up already and just let me help you, Dork," he said. "Oh, try to finish your water before the ride, though. I only have one cup holder and it's taken."

Double D blinked. "What?"

* * *

"No, no, absolutely not!"

Kevin kept a straight face as he sat on his motorcycle, positioning his gym bag and putting on his black leather jacket. "Come on, Double D, it's not as bad as it looks. I've driven this thing hundreds of times already, too."

Edd's legs were visibly shaking, probably even more than they were earlier in the janitor's closet. "I can't! The risk for injury on a motorcycle is skyrocketing! Way higher than the risk in cars! Motorcycles have no air bags or seatbelts or-"

Kevin suddenly stood up and approached him, holding his helmet underneath his arm, much like the way he held the textbooks yesterday right before he…

Edd froze.

A hint of pink appeared on his cheeks. It came rushing back to him – the memory he had yet to tell his two dearest friends, the memory that had kept him up all night tossing and turning and thinking. How Kevin had him pinned to the locker and how he closed in, their bodies almost touching…

"W-wait," Edd whimpered, covering his face with his sleeved hands. "I can just walk home. It's okay, really!"

Kevin looked over his shoulder, back at the football field, where he could clearly see some football players practicing off schedule. He wasn't sure if Travis, Connor and Zack were there, but he knew that was a major possibility.

He didn't want to risk it.

"It's _not_ okay, actually. I want you to get home safely," Kevin said, putting his helmet on Edd's head and buckling the strap under his chin. "You have a helmet on. I'll even drive slowly if you want me to. Let's just get out of here."

Kevin got back onto his motorcycle and inserted the key into the ignition but didn't turn it yet. He patted the seat behind him, a gesture Double D understood.

He took a deep breath and inched his way over, finally sitting down behind Kevin and feeling surprisingly comfortable on the cushiony seat. He took a moment to observe the transportation vehicle, eyeing its red and black colors, shiny surface, and the little extra features it had, such as the cup holder, the side pouches and the radio. Or perhaps it was just a player of sorts, because Edd didn't spot an antenna anywhere.

"Like it?" Kevin asked. "I work on it a lot. It's in tiptop shape. Better than most motorcycles you see around here."

"It _is_ quite nice, yes," Edd replied, his voice choppy from his trembling.

Kevin kicked back the kickstand and the bike slanted a bit, causing Edd to nearly jump out of his skin in fright.

The jock laughed. "Relax, Double D, I haven't even started it yet."

"H-hurry up, before I change my mind!"

Kevin reached back and grabbed Double D's hands, pulling them forward so that his arms were around his waist. Edd's whole body jumped at the unexpected physical contact.

"You're gonna have to hold on to me like this," Kevin instructed, "And keep your feet in place, unless I'm stopped. Also, don't touch the exhaust pipe or the muffler."

Edd nodded and complied, putting his feet in the right places and leaning forward as Kevin leaned forward. His cheeks heated up as he wrapped his arms even tighter around Kevin's waist. Then his mind wandered off to a new train of thought.

Kevin's body was so athletic and robust. He wasn't exactly brawny, but his muscles sure have strengthened over time. His shoulders were broad and his limbs were fit. Edd even felt a hint of Kevin's strong, toned abs as he held his midsection, feeling nervous in more ways than one.

'_Things sure have changed since elementary school, haven't they?_'

"Ready, Dork?" Kevin asked, breaking Edd's thoughts.

'_Then again, not everything has changed, I suppose_.'

"Y-yes," Edd replied.

Despite his obvious fear, seeing the bike's great condition and Kevin's intelligence of the machine _did_ ease some of Edd's nerves.

That is, until the bike roared to life.

He suddenly clung onto Kevin with all four limbs, nearly strangling the guy with his forearms. Edd was semi-petrified with wide eyes and chattering teeth.

"Double D," Kevin choked, "I can't breathe, man!"

"Please proceed!" Edd shouted, clamping his eyes shut and burying his face in Kevin's back.

A big smile curved Kevin's lips when Double D's grip returned to his waist and tightened. Soon, they were on the road, the wind blowing against their faces and the colors of the scenery flying by like a filmstrip.

As they rode along, Double D began to feel more relaxed. He was used to the loud purr of the motorcycle now, and he wasn't squeezing the life out of the other anymore. Rather, he was thinking about Kevin again, so much that he lost track of time.

* * *

They were home before they knew it.

Kevin parked his motorcycle in Edd's driveway and hopped off gracefully. Double D took off his helmet and tried to hop off the bike, too, though he ended up landing right on his face.

"You okay?" Kevin asked, helping him up.

Edd brushed off some dirt and smiled. "Yes, I am. Thank you very much for taking me home."

'_There's that contagious smile again,_' Kevin thought.

"So, what will you be doing now?" Edd asked.

Kevin took off his hat and scratched his head. His hair was messy and medium-lengthed, but it still had those three long strands in the front.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you," he said. "Are you free to hang out tomorrow?"

Double D was astounded. "You want to hang out?"

Kevin blushed. "Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Actually, yes, it is…"

Kevin put his hat back on. "This year's monster truck marathon is playing tomorrow night. I'm having a get-together at my house with the usual crew. It's kind of a tradition for us. I wouldn't call it a party or anything, but it's gonna have a ton of snacks and stuff."

Being invited to something Kevin was hosting left Edd absolutely dumbfounded.

But he managed to find words. "What time does it start?"

"I'd say two o'clock is a good time, but you can show up whenever."

Edd looked down and pondered for a moment.

Kevin took the helmet from him and hung it on his bike handle. "You don't have to decide right now, but I'd like to know by tonight. Do you have my number?"

Before Double D could answer, Eddy kicked open his front door. "Double D? There you are! We thought we'd never find you! Where have you been?"

"Double D, you're alive!" Ed shouted as he full-body tackled Double D to the ground, hugging him so tightly that it nearly crushed his little bones. "Why are you dressed like a football player?"

Eddy noticed Kevin and glared at him. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Kevin squinted his eyes.

"Hey, Double D, why is your eye all purple and weird?" Ed pointed out.

Eddy saw the bruise and cut on Double D's face and immediately closed in on Kevin like a bull about to charge. "What did you do to him?"

"What, you're gonna automatically blame _me_ for that?" Kevin asked.

"Who else could it have been?! You better start talking, Blockhead!"

"Actually, Eddy," Double D said, "Kevin is not the culprit."

Eddy looked over at him. "Huh? But Kevin is always the one who hurts us! Did he hit your head too hard, or something?"

Double D frowned. "He didn't hit me at all. In fact, he made sure I made it home safely. The other guys on the football team did this to me."

Eddy backed off but kept a suspicious stare locked onto Kevin. "Is that so?"

Ed suddenly hugged the unsuspecting jock, squeezing the life out him. "Thank you so much for protecting our Double D, Kevin!"

Kevin tried to struggle out of the embrace but his efforts were futile. "No problem, man," he choked, "Just let go of me."

Ed obeyed and Kevin plopped onto the floor.

"Don't hug him, Ed," Eddy grumbled.

"Why not? He rescued Double D!"

"I don't care. He's still our bully and that's all he'll ever be."

Kevin stood back up. Double D prepared to stop him from getting into a squabble with Eddy, but instead, he saw that Kevin was standing still with a doleful face.

"I think I'm gonna head home now," Kevin said.

"Good, get lost," Eddy said as he walked into the house and slammed the door.

"Never mind Eddy, Kevin," Double D assured. "He just likes using hurtful words."

Kevin sighed. "If you want, you can take them with you tomorrow."

"I'm sorry?"

"To my get-together. You can take Ed and Eddy with you, if it'll make you feel less awkward. I wouldn't mind."

Edd began to wonder if Kevin would ever stop surprising him today. "You're inviting Ed and Eddy, too?"

He nodded. "Whatever it takes to get you there."

Edd's cheeks grew warm. He then reached into his backpack's side pocket for a post-it note and a pen. Once he had them, he held the two items out in front of him.

"To answer your earlier question, I'm afraid that I do not have your number. Will you please write it down for me?"

Kevin almost couldn't believe it, but he happily obliged. Afterwards, he sauntered back to his bike with a victorious grin on his face. Before he took off, he said, "I'll talk to you later, then, Double Dork!"

Edd waved goodbye as Kevin drove away. Then he looked down at the jersey covering more than half his body. He lifted the fabric of its sleeve to his nose, inhaling the small dose of Kevin's scent. It smelt pretty good for a football jersey. He could detect the mix of cologne it had.

'_I wonder what kind of cologne Kevin wears.' _

"So, what was _that_ all about?" Eddy asked, coming outside again. "Lumpy had a point, too, why are you wearing that shirt? Isn't that Kevin's?"

Double D turned around to face his friends. "Guys… There's something I must talk to you about."

* * *

-To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Again, I'm SO glad people actually like this?  
Your reviews have been motivating me, so I thank you!  
Don't hesitate to give me more! c:  
Originally, this chapter was VERY long.  
However, I split it into two chapters for easy reading.  
Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Iridescent  
**_Chapter Three_

* * *

"Are you serious?" Eddy asked, squinting his eyes suspiciously with a hint of confusion.

"Yes, that is precisely what transpired," Double D replied.

"He almost _kissed_ you? You sure he wasn't just staring at your goofy face for too long?"

Edd frowned. "My face is goofy?"

"But he saved Double D from certain death, Eddy!" Ed yelled.

"Shut up, Ed," Eddy said as he crossed his arms. "I don't care if he _did_ chase your bullies away. I still don't trust him and he's a bully, too."

"Actually, Eddy, it's been approximately five years since Kevin did anything mean to us," Double D pointed out. "You may have a personal, ceaseless rivalry with Kevin, but obviously some things have changed. Perhaps we should give him a chance?"

"As if," Eddy sassed. "Get real, Double D."

Edd twiddled his fingers. "The way Kevin's been acting lately is giving me weird signals. He's not a completely different person or anything, but there's something about him that I can't quite put my finger on…"

"Huh? What're you talkin' about, Sockhead?"

Double D shyly looked down at his feet. "I'm not certain of what to call it, but… the fact that he helped me this much makes me feel really happy."

"What are you, a damsel in distress?" Eddy asked. "What he did was no big deal."

Ed and Eddy walked over to the kitchen and began pouring Chunky Puffs cereal into two large bowls. After the puffs were added, Eddy grabbed the milk.

"Milk, Ed?"

"No, thanks, Eddy, I have gravy!"

Ed pulled a dirty gravy boat out of his inner jacket pocket and poured it all into his bowl. Then he began eating his meal, using his gravy ladle as a cereal spoon.

Eddy wasn't even shocked anymore. It was normal – almost second nature – for Ed to consume gallons of gravy on a daily basis. Eddy just shrugged a shoulder and poured milk into his own bowl.

Despite his comedic friend consuming a horrid mixture of foods, Double D was still very troubled. What if it really _wasn't_ a big deal? What if Kevin's actions were just something anyone would've done? Would he feel the same way towards a different person who did the same thing for him?

"Perhaps you're right, Eddy," Double D mumbled unsurely.

"Of course I am," Eddy said, waving a dismissive hand and chewing with his mouth open. "Now, let's eat!"

'_Eddy's right,_' Edd kept thinking to himself as he walked over to join them. '_It's no big deal that Kevin is being nice lately and that helped me to that extent and that he almost…_'

He stopped in his tracks, his gaze still to the floor. '_Is it really no big deal at all?_'

* * *

Nazz looked at Kevin intently, waiting to hear what he had to say. The sun was setting outside, not even two hours after Double D was dropped off at his house. The orange light highlighted the room and reflected off of her curious eyes and lipgloss.

"Go on, Kev, you know you can talk to me about anything."

Kevin ruffled the back of his hair and fiddled with the bottle cap of his soda. "I think I might like someone, but you better not laugh when I tell you who it is."

"Why would I laugh? If you actually like someone, you _better_ tell me who it is!"

The awkwardness he had felt beforehand suddenly disappeared at the sound of her playful tone and accepting attitude.

"Well, you know how I told you that I wanted to hang out with Double D?"

She gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. "Oh my gosh, you like Double D?"

Kevin's face flushed. "I- I never said that!"

"But you were going to!"

He crossed his arms and pouted.

"Aw, don't be upset, Kev. I already knew that you liked him anyways."

"What? How did you-"

"It was the look in your eyes when you talked about him yesterday."

There was a brief silence. "My eyes?" he asked.

She nodded. "There was a depth in them that I've never seen before."

Kevin suddenly started to chug his soda, drinking straight out of the two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew Voltage and leaving the empty cup on the table.

A giggled escaped Nazz's lips. "So, is that why you're splurging? I haven't seen you drink soda in ages."

He put the oversized bottle down and burped. "Yeah, so what?" He wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "I can drink whatever I want! The football diet ain't for every single day, y'know."

She blinked. "There's alcohol mixed in that, isn't there?"

He squinted. "Maybe."

"Kevin, it's _okay_ to feel this way about Double D. There's no need to get all stressed out about it."

He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his soft, red hair. "I don't know, Nazz. It was really weird. I almost… no, I _wanted_… to kiss him today."

Her eyes widened. "Really? No joke?"

"Why would I joke about something like that?"

She smiled gently. "Sorry, I just think it's sweet, that's all."

He chuckled and put his cap back on. "Nah, don't be sorry. Thanks for not laughing at me."

"Hey, what're friends for? You'll always be the same ol' sports-loving Kevin I've always known, no matter what happens. After all, you didn't laugh at _me_ or view me any differently when I told you about my bisexuality. You've got nothing to worry about with me, Kev."

A smile curved his lips. "Why're you getting all mushy on me, Nazz? It's totally crampin' my style."

She playfully twisted his hat forward and pulled the lid down over his eyes. "So, what are you gonna do about this anyway?"

"I don't know. Planning ahead was never really my thing. I invited him and his dorky friends over to our marathon night tomorrow. I'll just think of something then."

Nazz frowned. "You should really think of something _before_ he gets here."

"That's setting myself up for nervousness and I don't want to look lame," he said, attempting to finish his sugary beverage.

"I think you should kiss him."

Kevin nearly choked on his drink. "Wh-what? Why so soon?"

"Well, you wanted to kiss him earlier, didn't you?"

"Yeah, and what if I do kiss him? Then what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, date him, maybe?"

Kevin sat back against the couch. Suddenly, the words Double D had passed on to him earlier sprouted up in his mind.

'_They said next time you protect me, you'll be beaten up like this, too…_'

His gaze slowly went downcast. "But the guys on the team… They'd probably-"

"_Seriously_, Kevin?" she interrupted. "Since when do you care about what they think? You'd fight them in a heartbeat. They shouldn't influence your life choices. If you want to pursue Double D, then you should, regardless of what those guys think."

Silence lingered between them.

He twisted his cap back around and looked up at the ceiling. "Pursue him?"

Eddy's words then echoed in his mind. '_He's our bully and that's all he'll ever be!_'

Kevin's expression grew cold and despondent. "I don't think I can."

"Why?"

"Because… Why would he say yes to someone like me?"

* * *

"Why would you say yes to someone like him?" Eddy asked.

Double D was seated on his couch, sewing the rips in his sweater with a fresh Band-Aid placed over the cut that was above his eyebrow. He was wearing a clean long-sleeved shirt now, but he didn't have the heart to take off Kevin's jersey yet.

"He was nice enough to invite all three of us, so I'm going to RSVP tonight," Double D replied. "Since when do you deny a party, Eddy?"

"Since that jerk messed with your brain. I thought you were smart, Double D. Can't you see that this is just some kind of prank? He's into dares, you know."

Edd looked down at his half-fixed sweater, considering Eddy's words. '_I haven't even hypothesized that possibility. What if this _is_ a prank?_'

But then he thought of the gentle, yet serious way Kevin had spoken to him before his departure earlier. '_Whatever it takes to get you there._'

"Nonsense," Double D said as he continued to sew. "We have all done some growing up since middle school, Eddy. I highly doubt Kevin would revert back to his old elementary school tactics."

"Oh, please! I know you're a softy, but this is ridiculous!" Eddy shouted as he pressed his face against Edd's living room window, staring at Kevin's house. "He's pranking us, I just know it! Don't be so naïve, Sockhead."

Double D sighed. "Even after what I told you, you're still going to act like this?"

"Of course I am! I don't care how nice he's been to you, _I'm_ onto him!"

Edd kept sewing, silently thinking about ways to convince Eddy to attend the party so that he wasn't alone. "You know, _everybody_ is going to be there, Eddy."

"Yeah? So what?"

"There's also going to be a lot of _free_ food and possibly alcohol."

Eddy fell silent.

Eureka.

"Just imagine the crowd you can entertain?" Double D continued.

"For a _price_!" Eddy said, rubbing his hands together.

Double D tried his hardest not to laugh at his own genius. "Not to mention girls will be there, too, including Nazz."

Eddy's face boiled red. "No foolin'?"

"She _is_ Kevin's best friend. She'll definitely be there."

Eddy practically jumped through the roof. "I'm in!"

Double D turned to Ed. "How about you, Ed?"

Ed was still in the kitchen, trying to make a sculpture out of gravy but failing miserably as he sat in the large puddle of thick, brown juice with a blank stare on his face.

"Will he have gravy?" Ed asked. "I need some more so I can complete my chicken statue."

Eddy and Double D both stared at their gravy-covered friend.

"Well," Double D began, "I suppose it's a certain possibility that he possesses gravy in his household."

A big grin blossomed on Ed's face. "Let's go to Kevin's house, guys!"

"You could just use the gravy that you got all over your clothes, Lumpy-"

"We're going to Kevin's house, Eddy!" Ed shouted as he charged at his two friends, bundling them up with his dripping wet sleeves. "And he's going to have gravy!"

Eddy tried shouting something back at him, but his voice was muffled with Ed's arm covering his mouth.

"Ed, _please_!" Double D cried. "You're getting Kevin's jersey covered with gravy!"

* * *

Nothing but the faint sound of the washer machine downstairs was heard. Double D finally managed to get his kitchen spotless and gravy free once again. He set the mop aside and glanced at the microwave's digital clock. It was almost midnight.

"Geez," he grumbled to himself. "Where Ed even manages to get all that gravy is beyond me."

He turned the kitchen light off and darkness took over the living room. Moonlight seeped in through the windows and sliding glass doors until he closed all the blinds.

Edd headed upstairs to his room. After brushing his teeth, he slowly crawled into bed, relieved when the plush blankets and pillows surrounded his tired body.

The house was quiet. Empty. Lonely.

Nothing he wasn't used to, though. It was like this every night.

When he was younger, he would fall asleep thinking about where his parents were and when they would be home again. They were always on business trips when he was growing up. Sometimes they would be gone for months at a time. Very rarely were they home, and whenever they were, they'd spend every waking hour planning and preparing for their next trip. They never had time for Double D, but they at least managed to leave him a lot of post-it notes before they departed.

But even those thoughtful little notes ceased over time.

Ever since the divorce, Double D hasn't really seen his parents at all. Whenever they returned home, it would only be for a day, at most. His mom dropped by every once in a while to catch up with him, but despite her attempts at getting closer to her son, she would doze off in mid-conversation because of how overworked she is.

His father was a different story. Double D was lucky if he saw his dad more than once a year. He wasn't even sure what kind of career his dad possessed anymore.

Even so, Double D loved his parents and he kept every single note they had ever given him.

Whether it had a few loving sentences written on it or a list of chores, he kept them all safely filed in a box that his father built for him back when he was just a toddler.

It was a standard wooden box that looked a lot like a huge jewelry box. On it was one simple word painted in red: Eddward. Next to his name was his handprint – a sloppy little hand that was nowhere near the size of his hand now.

He used to call this box his treasure chest when he was little, but now he simply called it his memory box. It was hidden in his closet, along with some other mementos and keepsakes.

Occasionally, he would take it out and re-read all of the notes. He had them organized in chronological order. They were all cheery, loving and uplifting, but he was almost certain that a lot of them were just empty words to make him feel better while they went through so much pain.

They weren't the only ones who dealt with pain, though.

The less they spoke to him, the harder it was for Double D to deal with certain things, mainly bullying. Kevin stopped picking on him after sixth grade, but it seemed like after Kevin vanished, a whole new swarm appeared. Ed and Eddy were always there to help keep him afloat, but there were still times Double D did the unthinkable when he was alone.

His memory box held all of the good memories of his past, but certain parts of his skin held the bad ones – the times where he almost couldn't take it anymore.

He pulled his sleeves down over his hands just thinking about it.

Even though he prospered from resorting to such behavior, remembering it was just as painful as doing it.

Double D adjusted his hat and turned over on his side, curling up tighter underneath his soft blanket. He adapted to sleeping with a hat ages ago, for the sake of covering up yet another scar, but this one was a different story.

The silence hovering around him seemed loud. His ears felt numb. That's when he reached over to his alarm clock and clicked the button that turned on the radio.

It was the alternative rock station he always listened to. He had grown into this music genre back in middle school because, for some odd reason, the lyrics almost always seemed fitting and comfortable.

His body started to relax more once the drone sound of the music filled the room with just enough audio to make him feel less alone.

'_I'll just lay here until the laundry is done. Then I'll hang up Kevin's jersey to dry and go to bed-_'

"Kevin!" he suddenly exclaimed, instantly sitting up in his bed. He quickly grabbed his phone and began typing a text message with his fingertips.

"Oh, dear, I hope I'm not waking him up by texting him so late at night…"

With a final press of a button, the message was sent. He stared at his phone, waiting for a reply. Not even a minute later, his phone vibrated in his hands.

"Well that certainly didn't take long. Was he waiting by his phone the whole time?"

He opened the message.

'Good, I'm glad you're coming. I was starting to wonder if you chickened out on me. If you did, I would've gone over there to get you.'

The words brought a silly smile to Edd's face. Then he texted Kevin back.

'But, isn't it rude to leave your other guests?'

A few seconds, then a reply.

'I kinda want you there the most. So, just come over. Got it?'

It didn't quite answer his question, yet Edd was satisfied with the answer. He smiled brightly, the gap in between his two front teeth showing shamelessly.

'I will. I want to.'

'See you then. Sleep tight.'

Double D brought his phone to his chest. "How cute," he whispered.

Kevin, who was in bed as well, was laying flat on his back, shirtless and half covered, with his hand resting behind his head. His green eyes glowed under the pale blue light of his open cell phone.

"He wants to, huh?" He smirked. "I better not fuck this up."

Double D curled up again and felt ripples of unfamiliar joy spread throughout his body. He had felt something similar to this on the night Kevin had gotten dangerously close to his lips at school. At that time, he couldn't make out the exact emotion he was feeling, but now, he knew exactly what emotion it was.

Affection.

* * *

Double D yawned and stretched out his limbs. It was a little past 9AM, much too early to head over to Kevin's house.

He got up and did his morning duties such as making the bed, brushing his teeth, showering, and making breakfast. Two pancakes were slapped onto his plate, soon buried beneath a pound of blueberry syrup. It wasn't the healthiest thing to eat, but he figured the carbohydrates would energize him for this nerve-racking day. He _did_ consume a few healthy things, though, such as milk, orange juice and vitamins.

As he ate, he turned on the living room TV and watched the news. The weather forecasted heavy rain and high winds for the day. A cold front.

"Oh, dear."

He went back to his room and contemplated what to wear. '_Cold and rainy,_' he reminded himself. Surely a hoodie and jeans wasn't too casual, right? It wasn't a formal party or anything. Plus, they were going to be indoors the whole time.

Double D took off his bathrobe and slipped on some clean underwear. He sifted through the hanging clothes in his closet, looking for a sweater or a sweatshirt to wear.

A white one caught his eye. It had a cluster of diamond-pattern lines on the upper chest area. The fabric was thin, though. Too thin. It was practically transparent. He looked at the slim scars on his arm, scars that were faded, healed, and almost unseen to the unsuspecting eye. But to him, they were as visible as the time they were first inflicted. He put the shirt back on the hanger.

Again, he sifted through his sweaters until he found a beige one that was soft, comfortable, and thick enough to hide his past mistakes. He happily pulled it on over his head, feeling warm and snug within the cozy material. The thought of wearing an undershirt crossed his mind, but that would require a tie of sorts, and he didn't want to wear something like that to this type of get-together. The sweater was warm enough by itself anyways. He then slipped into his black pants and ran a comb through his silky black hair.

"I wonder if I should take an umbrella with me?" he asked himself as he put his hat back on.

The time caught his eye again, though. It wasn't even noon yet. He sighed and crawled onto his bed, sunbathing in the late morning light. He felt his eyelids grow heavy and before he knew it, everything temporarily shut off.

* * *

"Double D?"

Edd could hear a familiar voice. It sounded distant as it echoed.

"Wake up, Sockhead! The party already started!"

Edd's eyelids burst apart. "What?!"

His body flung out of bed and landed clumsily onto the floor, where he was face-to-face with Eddy's shoes. They were black and shiny, just like his pants and the jacket and he was wearing over his white undershirt.

Groggily, Double D said, "What time is it?"

"It's past 4 o'clock!" Eddy shouted as he grabbed Double D's arm. "Let's get moving!"

They flew out the door, where Ed was patiently waiting on the front sidewalk, dressed in his everyday apparel but wearing a yellow clip-on tie with large blue polka dots on it.

"I got him, Ed!" Eddy said as he dashed past him, running to Kevin's house.

"Eddy, wait, I didn't bring an umbrella!" Double D yelled with concern.

Ed laughed goofily and followed them as they ran. "Do I look like a butternut squash, Double D?"

He didn't even have time to answer Ed before Eddy was already knocking on Kevin's front door.

Double D looked up and saw charcoal-grey clouds swimming around in the sky. It was as dark as nighttime. Thunder was already growling all around them, and the scent of moisture was thick in the air. The wind was so strong that Double D nearly got blown over when Eddy put him down. He became overly concerned that he had forgotten his umbrella, but it all flushed away when the door finally opened.

That was when he suddenly remembered why he was so nervous and scatterbrained in the first place. The anxiousness shook his bones.

* * *

-To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A lot happens in this chapter.  
So, prepare for a lot of words again. ;~;  
Reviews, reactions, comments – all are appreciated!  
It motivates me to write more. :p  
Enjoy!

* * *

**Iridescent  
**_Chapter Four_

* * *

"Hiya, Kevin!" Ed greeted, hugging the jock as if he was their old-time friend.

Kevin's face nearly turned blue from being locked up in such strong arms. "Y-yes, hi, hello," he choked. "Now get inside before it rains."

"Okay!" Ed shouted, releasing his embrace and running inside. "To the gravy!"

Eddy looked at Kevin with indifference and popped his collar. "Kevin."

"Dork."

Eddy walked inside, trying to look as cool as possible. Double D still stood frozen like a statue on the doorstep, holding his hat in place so that it wouldn't fly off his head.

Kevin stood tall in the doorway, wearing his usual red hat along with a black jacket, dark jeans and a band T-shirt. The shirt was white with a pink splatter, a teal smear, little black arrows and black, curved lines forming a smiley face with X's for eyes. It was a band Double D actually recognized.

"You comin' in?" Kevin asked, holding the door open for him.

"Blink-182," Double D pointed out.

It took a moment for Kevin to realize that Edd was talking about his shirt. "You like them, too?"

Edd nodded. "Why, yes, I enjoy their expository lyrics."

Kevin smiled. "I'm glad you came over tonight."

A faint blush tinted Edd's cheeks and he felt a dull, foreign ache bubble up deep inside him. Before he could even comprehend it, it suddenly started to downpour. The rain soaked them both to the skin.

"Here, man, I gotcha," Kevin said, dragging Edd inside quickly.

The air conditioner hit them like a ton of bricks. Shivering, Double D tried desperately to warm himself up with what little dry patches were left on his sweater. Kevin took off his hat and shook his head, casting off multiple drops of water and wetting Double D further more.

Instead of sulking, though, Edd let out a lighthearted laugh. '_What is he, a Golden Retriever?_'

"Do you guys need a towel?" Nazz asked.

"That would be awesome, actually," Kevin said with an embarrassed smile.

"I'll be right back, then!"

She left the kitchen and headed upstairs. Double D took a glance around the room. Everyone was there. Jonny was sitting in front of the television with Plank in hand, watching the monster truck marathon a bit too closely. Jimmy and Sarah were on the couch, wrapped up in a single blanket. Rolf was in the kitchen, grilling various meats on Kevin's indoor grill with full concentration in his eyes. Ed was by Rolf's side, sucking on a gravy ladle and eyeing the meats as they cooked, and Eddy was at the kitchen counter, sitting on a barstool and sipping some punch from the spiked punch bowl.

It's been years since Double D had spent time with these people. They've all grown so much, from height to weight to facial hair to breast development. Rolf and Jonny had dark fuzz on their upper lips. Sarah had feminized more over the years. She wore a pink dress and matching lipstick on her luscious lips, along with a large bow perched in her silky, hair-sprayed orange hair. Even Ed and Eddy had developed exceptionally well, although, Eddy remained the shortest male. The only one who didn't change much was Jimmy. Besides obvious physical growth, the only extreme difference was that his retainer was finally gone.

Needless to say, every single one of them passed puberty with flying colors.

A weird notion came over Double D as he stood there next to Kevin, dripping with rainwater. This was a whole new chapter with these people. A clean slate. It's been years since they've all been together like this, and perhaps now was the time to build true, everlasting friendships. Or start over anew with them, at the very least.

Nazz gave Kevin two towels and he tossed one onto Double D's head. "Here you go."

Double D gave a friendly smile. "Thank you very much."

* * *

Hours had passed.

The music was blaring, booming, causing some of the frames on the wall to fall off. It surprised everyone that they haven't gotten any complaints from the neighbors until they realized that they _are_ the neighbors of the cul-de-sac.

The rain still poured outside in the moonlight. Pillows and snack wrappers were scattered across the living room floor. The trashcan in the kitchen overflowed with dirty napkins, ketchup-stained paper plates and the remains of eaten hotdogs and hamburgers. Empty bottles and cans of various alcoholic beverages littered the counters and tables. The monster truck marathon was muted and long forgotten in the background of the party's uproar.

Flushed, half-alert faces were all around the room, laughing together as Eddy attempted to sing along with the music playing on Kevin's extra large stereo system. They were more like slurred words with a tone.

"_Tonight's the night!_" Eddy sang into a hairbrush.  
"_Let's live it up!_  
_I got my money! Let's _NOT_ spend it up!_"

The others joined in. "_Get out and smash it!  
Like oh my God!_"

Ed shouted from the bottom of his lungs. "_Jump off the sofa!_" He sprung off the couch and crash-landed in the middle of the living room, crushing Jimmy.

Eddy laughed hysterically and continued to sing with the others.  
"_Let's get get, off!_"

Nazz joined Eddy with a hairbrush in her hand as well.  
"_I know that we'll have a ball~ if we get down and go out, and just lose it all~_"

Eddy's face turned beet-red as Nazz happily sang the duet with him.

"_I feel stressed out, I wanna let it go.  
Let's go way out, spaced out, and loosing all control!_"

Eddy held out his plastic cup of booze. "_Fill up my cup!_"

The whole room shouted "_Mozoltov!_"

Eddy pointed at Nazz. "_Look at her dancing!'  
Just take it…" _

Everyone shouted,_ "Off!"_

_"Let's paint the town!  
We'll shut it down!_"

Ed jumped in again, proclaiming the next line of the song with an open-mouthed smile and a blowtorch in his hands. "_Let's burn the roof!_"

"Gracious!" Double D shouted.

Ed turned on the blowtorch and was about to set the curtains on fire before Double D tackled him to the ground, removing the dangerous power tool.

Edd wiped sweat off his brow while everyone sang, "_And then we'll do it again!_"

They danced sloppily and happily, enjoying the night as the house nearly fell apart. Double D had lost track of time. Still possessing a sober mind, he felt lost in the ocean of music, silliness and drunken activities. He scanned the room for Kevin, but he was nowhere to be found.

He left the noisy room, still wrapped up in the towel Kevin had given him earlier. He didn't want to intrude in any personal spaces or impose any more than he already was, but his desire to find Kevin exceeded his rational thinking.

He went upstairs and saw no one in the rooms with open doors. He went back downstairs and looked around one more time, then he noticed Kevin's red cap on the other side of the back porch's sliding glass door, perched on a table.

'_He's outside in this miserable weather?_'

Double D quietly slid the door open. It was only drizzling outside now. When the door was shut, the sound of the music inside became nothing but a faint hum. He was about to go retrieve Kevin, but to his surprise, Kevin was sitting on a couch, playing an acoustic guitar, perfectly dry under the roof of the quiet, screened-in porch.

The tune he was playing was calm, but not simple. Each strum was as precise and fast as the last, producing a lovely semi-upbeat melody.

Double D listened to Kevin play.

After absorbing the beat of the song, Kevin sang in a voice that was low and quiet, yet astonishingly sublime.

"_Odd one, you're never alone.  
I'm here and I will reflect you.  
Both of us basically unattached to anything, or anyone, unless we're pretending.  
You live your life in your head.  
Some call it imagination.  
I'd rather focus instead on anything except…_"

His voice grew louder and more spirited, as did his guitar playing.

"_What I'm feeling… What I'm feeling, Odd One…  
Hey… it's gonna be okay.  
Hey… we're gonna laugh at this one day._"

His playing slowed down again, to the way it was before the first verse. Edd wanted to say something, but he was too busy listening. He was mesmerized.

"_Odd one, I wish I was you.  
You're never concerned with acceptance.  
We are all desperately seeking out, and fitting in with anyone who will accept us.  
But not you, Odd One…_"

Again, spirit fueled his voice and playing. But before he repeated the chorus, he looked over at the fascinated Double D, standing there with his mouth open in shock.

Kevin smiled. "You can pick up your jaw now, Double Dork."

Edd quickly shut his mouth, covering it shyly with his hands. "My apologies, Kevin!"

"It's cool." He set his guitar aside and patted the couch cushion next to him. "Come here, will ya?"

Double D shyly obeyed, sitting down next to him. "You're not drinking?"

"Nah, I have a game tomorrow. Playing football with a hangover ain't fun, trust me."

Edd eyed the musical instrument that was previously in Kevin's lap. "I didn't know you played guitar."

"It's an old hobby of mine. I took some lessons back in eighth grade and freshman year. Didn't really stick to them, though. Just learned what I needed to learn and then self-taught myself to play certain songs that are frequently on the radio."

"You were very good," Edd said. "That was 'Odd One' by Sick Puppies, wasn't it?"

"Damn straight," Kevin said with a smirk, "I nailed it, didn't I? I've been practicing it for the past couple of days."

"Why's that?"

Kevin sat back, listening to the sound of the soft raindrops pelting the roof overhead. "It kinda reminded me of you. That's all."

Double D's cheeks turned pink. "Me?"

"Yeah. You're definitely an odd one."

Edd looked down. "Oh…"

"I mean that in a good way," Kevin explained. "You've always been the odd one out in my group of friends and your own group of friends, too. Yet, you always seem content with yourself, almost confident."

Edd then turned away. "I'm afraid looks can be deceiving, Kevin. I'm not nearly as confident as I may seem."

"I know that. But, you're nothing like Eddy, who always tries too hard to fit in and be accepted by others. You just do your own thing, without overly concerning yourself with what others think. You're passionate about what you do and you never stop doing it, even though others bully you and call you a nerd or a-"

"Dork?"

Kevin scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. "Yeah…"

"Well, I suppose you _are_ correct about all that," Double D said, "But you've got me defeated when it comes to confidence. I don't think I've ever witnessed you showing any sign of insecurity other than the time you were afraid of needles."

Kevin frowned. "Don't speak of that dark time."

Double D softly laughed. "You really are the most confident, outgoing person I know. You don't seem to have a problem with yourself at all."

The rainfall became heavy again, making the peaceful sound of raindrops grow back into the loud, unpleasant storm.

"Nah, I have plenty of problems with myself," Kevin admitted. "Problems I don't dare show to others. But you're always true to yourself, no matter what situation you're thrown into."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you're attempting to elaborate," Double D said. "If you want to be true to yourself and your own feelings, you have more than the potential it takes to do so."

"You really think that?"

"Of course!"

Kevin chuckled. "Yeah, but even now, I'm hiding myself. Yet, I can see that you're not."

"And how do you know that?"

He poked one of Double D's burning hot cheeks. "You're blushing an awful lot. You should've seen how red your face got when I complimented you."

All of the sudden, Double D had no words. Instead, he stared at Kevin with a bashful look in his cyan-colored eyes, feeling the heat on his own face grow even hotter.

"See? You're doing it again, Dorky."

"Y-yeah, well, from the way you're talking about me, I'd say you secretly admire me, or something," Double D said jokingly, right before flushing an even deeper shade of red. '_Did I really just say that?_'

Kevin smirked. "You want me to be true to my feelings, huh?"

"Y-yes," Edd stuttered, noticing Kevin was starting to close in on him.

"Then, I will."

He leaned in closer, enjoying the reactions he received from the shy and innocent Double D, who had brought his hands up to his face, trying desperately to hide.

With one hand, Kevin grabbed both of Edd's wrists and moved them aside. His other large hand caressed the side of Double D's face with long, slender fingers that barely touched his sensitive skin.

Kevin was so close now, closer than anyone has ever been to him, in this manner.

Double D's eyes fluttered shut as he let out a shaky exhale and sucked it back in with a tiny gasp. His heartbeat was skyrocketing, so hard that it hurt. He felt Kevin's thumb slowly brush his bottom lip before he felt the heat of Kevin's breath against his mouth, their noses touching and their lips barely grazing each other as he spoke.

"You're so damn cute when you're flustered like this," Kevin whispered, right before he finally closed the space between their mouths.

Double D tensed up. Every vital organ in his body seemed to have stopped working for a moment. He hardly knew how to react, but Kevin took control of the kiss and eventually, Edd's lips relaxed and moved against his, parting under the gentle pressure and following his lead.

The rain fell down harder and a flash of lightning lit up the porch.

Soon, Double D's head grew fuzzy. All of his thoughts clustered into a giant mess, and then vanished. The kiss grew more intense. He felt his body growing weaker and leaning back a bit as Kevin leaned forward some more, holding Edd tightly.

Kevin caught Edd's lip in his teeth, biting gently and provoking a submissive moan out of the fragile boy beneath him. He quietly groaned in response, swiping his tongue across Edd's lip afterwards and smirking into the kiss as they continued.

Double D's back was brought down to the couch, and Kevin's body hovered over him. He snaked his hand under the fabric of Edd's damp sweater, feeling how _soft_ his skin is. Kevin felt his heart beating against his ribcage, like an animal wanting to escape captivity, almost like something else…

Then, breathlessly, Double D said his name. "Kevin…" He placed his hand on Kevin's chest, grasping some of the material of his shirt. "W-wait…"

Kevin smiled against his lips and pulled away. "You're shivering," he murmured. "Are you cold?"

Double D stared up at him, eyes half-glazed, and his lungs out of breath. His face was so overheated and pink that it practically glowed in the dark. "N-no… quite the opposite, actually…"

Kevin laughed and sat up. "Would you like to borrow one of my shirts anyway? Your sweater is still wet from earlier."

"I g-guess that would be helpful…"

Edd sat up, nearly falling over from the dizziness. He could still feel Kevin's warm, moist lips on his, molding perfectly against the curves and crevice of his mouth as they-

"Oh! I forgot your jersey at my house!" Double D recalled. "Would it be all right if I went over to obtain it?"

"Surely," Kevin said, standing up. "C'mon, we can take the back way."

Double D didn't recall asking Kevin to join him, but he didn't complain or protest. Although, there was one thing that bothered him. "Do you have an umbrell-"

Before he could finish his question, Kevin held a black umbrella over his head.

He then put on his red cap. "Let's go."

* * *

They stepped into Double D's dark, empty house, shaking the umbrella off outside before closing the door and removing their wet, squeaky shoes.

"You can take a seat on the couch, if you'd like," Edd offered.

Kevin flipped on the light switch and plopped down on the living room couch. "Man, I hope it doesn't rain like this tomorrow."

"It won't," Double D said as he opened the door to the basement. "I checked the weather this morning. It'll be clear and cold tomorrow. This rainfall is just a cold front."

"That's good," Kevin said, scratching his chin. "But my lips might crack off."

Edd returned to the living room with the clean jersey draped over his arm. "Not if you properly supply them with chapstick, Kevin!"

Kevin smiled, and then a thought sparked into his mind. It wasn't the first time he thought of it, but after that kiss…

"Hey, Double D?"

"Yes?"

'_Don't pussy out, man,_' Kevin thought to himself. "Do you, um… Want to watch me play tomorrow?"

'_Smooth move._'

Double D pondered the idea. He honestly had forgotten about their school's football game on Sunday. Ever since his studies grew more serious, sports were the last thing on his mind. Ed was still the team's mascot, though, and Nazz and Sarah were still cheerleading. Double D was a bit behind on supporting his friends and exploiting school spirit. He decided that it would be a splendid idea to get out of the house again and breathe in some fresh air under the gentle autumn sun. Vitamin D is good for your mental health, after all, which was something well needed for studying.

"Okay, I'll gladly go to the football game tomorrow!" Edd said. "Who're we against?"

"Macintosh High."

"Sounds intriguing!"

Kevin smirked. "All right then, it's a date."

Double D's skin became pink all over. "I b-beg your pardon?"

"Date. You and me. Tomorrow, after the game. Where would you like to go?"

Edd's legs shook violently, barely able to stand. "I guess.. s-somewhere to eat?"

Kevin stood up and placed his forefinger under Edd's chin, lifting it up. Slowly, he leaned in and kissed him again with a soft touch of the lips.

"Sounds intriguing," he mimicked. "And you can keep that jersey for now. I want you to wear it tomorrow."

* * *

-To be continued.


End file.
